Chinese Fishing Boats Spotted Off Senkaku Islands
A Japan Coast Guard patrol ship has left for waters off the Senkaku Islands, where Chinese fishing boats were seen operating on Monday.
The patrol vessel departed from Ishigaki Island in Japan's southwestern Okinawa Prefecture. This came after Beijing on Sunday lifted an annual fishing ban in the East China Sea, including waters off the Senkakus.
Coast Guard officials said six Chinese boats were spotted in the area, with some of them navigating in the contiguous zone outside of Japanese territorial waters.
Four years ago, a large number of Chinese fishing boats approached the waters near the Senkaku Islands.
Tensions rose when some of the boats repeatedly entered Japanese territorial waters along with Chinese patrol ships.
The Coast Guard has deployed more than 20 ships to patrol the waters and crack down on fishing by foreign vessels.
Japan controls the Senkaku Islands. China and Taiwan claim them. The Japanese government maintains the islands are an inherent part of Japan's territory in terms of history and international law. It says there is no issue of sovereignty to be resolved over them.
